What assessment has the Minister made of the use of financial penalties for parents when their children have low levels of school attendance?
Answered by Minister for Education and the Welsh Language | Answered on 14/03/2024
Our guidance states that fines should only be used as a last resort after all other options have been exhausted. Local Authorities working in conjunction with schools should also consider whether a fine will be effective in getting a child back to school. We know that greater engagement with families has been shown to have a positive impact on improving attendance and we have taken a number of measures to support families, including increasing our investment for family engagement officers in 2023-24 to over £6.5m.